Kill the Dishonored
by DarkAkatsuk1
Summary: Corvo Attano did not know what to expect in death. Not a second life, that's for sure. But when confronted with the existence of a corrupt Empire, what's a man, one who has dictated the fate of another, to do?
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer** : I do not own Dishonored nor do I own Akame ga Kill! They belong to their respective owners Bethesda/Arkane Studios and Takahiro, and under no circumstances will I ever own them. I don't feel edgy enough to come up with material to write the latter, to begin with.

* * *

Chapter 1

* * *

He was not sure what happened. One moment, he had closed his old, weary eyes and breathed his last, content with the fact that he had done everything he could for Emily before and after she ascended to the throne and ruled with wisdom and thought, helping to bring forth Dunwall's golden age of prosperity. He had no regrets.

And after that, was blissful silence.

Then he was alive, breathing and understandably confused. His senses were disoriented from the apparent long lack of usage, and once he was able to steady himself right, he found himself staring into the Outsider's ever-black eyes.

This time, unlike the times the entity had appeared before him, he was smiling. Mysterious as it was, to his knowledge, the Outsider had never smiled before, even when he had expressed fascination or amusement in his actions and he surmised that whatever the godlike entity was thinking, it wasn't going to be good. Then he vanished without warning like all the times before, and he found himself in an undisclosed location, in a de-aged body.

A quick look in a nearby stream confirmed his suspicion. He still had the same long shaggy dark-brown hair, but a youthful complexion replaced all the wrinkles that had been prevalent on his face, around the early teenage years at the very least. Joy. He felt a headache at what this was supposed to mean, but didn't dwell on it for long.

He had traveled throughout the Isles in search of aid against the Rat Plague from the other nations of the Empire, and as far as he knew, this region did not resemble any part of it. Initially, he assumed he was on the Pandyssian Continent, but ruled it out as the conditions of this particular land were tolerable and hospitable, especially when he finally made human contact. Then he inquired about the Empire of the Isles and was soundly disturbed by the answers he received.

The Empire of the Isles does not exist, there is no Pandyssian Continent, and the only real empire that currently stands is aptly named 'The Empire'. Reality reared its head and made it transparent that the world he knew about his entire life... his entire _previous_ life no longer existed.

It was as though all he had experienced were a lie, just a dream of some delusional teenager.

But then he would pull out and don his mask, the symbolic terror of Dunwall's aristocrats, take out his folding blade and practice his swordsmanship, whip out his crossbow and exhibit his marksmanship, and inspect the mark branded upon his left hand by the Outsider and use all of the abilities it grants. And… he would take _her_ heart out, and simply gaze at it and reminisce on the happy times in the past before everything went downhill. All proof of who he was and what he had done, and he held onto them dearly.

He was once Corvo, Lord Protector of Empress Jessamine, Vigilante and Assassin of the Loyalist Conspiracy, and finally Lord Protector of Empress Emily the Wise.

But now, he is simply… Corvo Attano.

A man, a teenager… a boy with no history and no merit.

There had to be a reason to why he was sent to a place so far and distant from his world, so he waited. And waited. And waited longer. Two months pass, and his hope had dwindled into an infinitesimal amount that can be considered empty. And with that hope lost, he decided to set himself on a journey of self-discovery of sorts.

And so he went forth. He originally thought he had went south, just as his homeland Serkonos was to Gristol, but to his later dismay, he had gotten lost and traveled north instead. The cold land that greeted him resembled Tyvia very much, with the survivalism culture of the few people he met, the hostile ecosystem that seems to entangle the environment he stood in, and overall the persistent cold weather.

The only thing that had separated Tyvia from this northern frontier was the lack of ornate and complex art and the strange beasts, Danger Beasts they are called, that roamed the region. Even though the technology were rather foreign, the method of getting food was primitive, and the people around didn't use whale oil like he was accustomed to, he adapted quickly and made a hunter-gatherer out of himself, harvesting and catching whatever he could get and learning little by little of this bizarre world from the conversations he struck with the locals.

It wasn't much, but it was fulfilling. He later joked that his life now is a second retirement.

* * *

His first encounter with authority was with an amiable man who called himself the Prime Minister. _Former_ Prime Minister, to be more exact.

Three months since his arrival, Corvo was still adjusting to the norms of this strange and foreign world, and happened to come across a man who introduced himself as Chouri, along with his daughter Spear, who was about his physical age. He remembered expressing disbelief at such ridiculously simple names he had heard, much to the two's confusion at his behavior.

From the elderly man, he learnt that the Empire is the central piece of this land, much to his disbelief at such a simple name. The emperor had recently passed away, and plans for a ceremony of succession were already underway once the mourning of the passing of the ruler is finished. This kingdom is currently thriving, and Chouri felt that he had done his best and retired from his post in hopes that the emperor's successor would have a wiser man to guide him.

Then the man questioned Corvo. Who is he? Where was he from? What is such a young man doing in such a harsh environment all by himself? Why is he here?

The first and last, he could answer. He had given the man his name, seeing no harm in doing so, and told him that he was on a journey to answer the question of life. But for where he's from and his history… he had nothing to say. After all, who would believe in a strange boy who claims to be from another world after dying in said world, and came here due to the interference of a nigh omnipotent black-eyed entity who has a habit of giving supernatural powers on a whim to people that interest him?

Thus, he kept silent. Chouri must have assumed that he had some background he had no wish to divulge, and honored that decision. Moments later, he had given him a rather surprising offer; he offered Corvo a home, a shelter. He had tried to refuse, but the former Prime Minister had been adamant.

"It would wound my pride to leave a boy by himself when it is within my power and capability to help him. No, that will not do. It doesn't matter if you refuse or not, you are always welcome to stay with us."

Eventually he relented. The man had not questioned him, and from the man's body language, he had been genuine in his benevolence and consideration. His humble adobe is around the same region they had met, and from that period of time, Corvo had gotten to know the people he stayed with.

Chouri, for all intents and purposes, is a kind man. With a large mustache that contrasted the small beard growing around his mouth, he is mostly seen in uniform that seems to be from a military of sorts, along with a dark crown. He puts into consideration the lives of the people under him before his own, and cares for them more than he cares for himself. He loves his daughter and worries for her, even going as far as to grieve the fact that she shows no interest in searching for a husband or even a boyfriend, just like any good father.

The elderly man's daughter, Spear is like any girl her age; cheerful and down-to-earth, fretting over the little things in life like the conditions of her blonde hair or looking attractive to boys, and when he looked carefully, there was a hint of steel in her eyes, which manifested in her display of gallantry that isn't usually in girls.

She had been receptive to his stay, and her regard for him only seemed to grow when he revealed his sword skills and marksmanship. Turns out she's a disciple of a style of martial arts called the Imperial Fist, so he could respect her excitement when she learned more about him, notably when she had asked to spar with him. Eventually, she asked him to teach her some of his skills in exchange for her teaching him the Imperial Fist, or at least let him understand the style.

He complied, seeing it as an opportunity to expand his sights on the culture of this land. Through some of the conversations they had, Corvo learned about the Empire recruiting soldiers. He hadn't felt the urge to serve another kingdom just yet, but still he filed away that knowledge just in case.

Months pass, and it would then come the time he would leave to continue exploring the land, and this time not get lost. The elderly man had given him a map of the kingdom and wished him good luck, only requesting that he come by and visit sometimes.

As for Spear… she had been reluctant in letting him leave. No, that's an understatement. She was outright adamant in not letting him leave.

To that end, she forced him into a duel, with the outcomes being if she won, then he wouldn't leave. Chouri had been amused by it, and he knew why as well. Corvo knew the girl had growing feelings for him the past months, but even so…

The match had been pitiful, at best. Spear was good at fighting, yes, and her conditioning and training had helped her improve, yes, but her inexperience in actual combat was her undoing. No more than half an hour later and she was already on her knees, panting from fatigue with tears falling down freely, begging him not to leave.

He had even felt like an ass afterward, too.

But that feeling was wiped when he remembered why he had accepted the duel in the first place. Even after decades of Jessamine's passing, he still felt attachments for her and thought fondly of the memories the two of them had built together, and had no wish to betray them. That, and his curiosity to explore a new land was much stronger than retiring and settling down early. So he made a promise with the weeping girl. One day, when she becomes stronger, when she has caught up with him, he will return and they will fight again. If she wins that time… he didn't say any further that that, due to Spear finishing it for him,

"Then you'll be by my side forever and ever?"

…Maybe he should have spoken faster. Maybe he should have forced himself to finish what he was going to say, because the girl took his silence as a 'yes' and… squee'd. He wasn't sure if that was the correct word, but that was the best summation of the voice she made.

She had made it sound very much like a marriage proposal, but it was enough to stop the girl from crying and stopping him from leaving. In fact, he had a feeling that he dug himself into a deeper hole if Spear kissing his cheeks for good luck and Chouri's delightful laughter afterwards meant anything, but pushed that thought away in favor of leaving to wander once more.

Very smooth, Corvo. Very smooth.

* * *

His first real fight for his life was against another young girl.

It had been eight months since he came to this world and one week since he left Chouri's home, and granted, Corvo hadn't been aware that he trespassed onto another's hunting ground. In his mild defense, he had seen a prey, was admittedly hungry, and he lunged at the opportunity. The chances of him stealing another's prey had been nonexistent to himself and it was only after a full stomach that he realized he had company.

The girl had approached him, weapons in hand. She appeared to be 12 at the very least, 14 at the greatest. Blue hair cascaded down her back, with piercing light blue eyes and was garbed in clothes drenched in blood, long dried by the relentless rime of the environment. She is beautiful, he admits, but her vicious glare and unforgiving smile, along with the confident form, spoke of life that has grown accustomed to the maxim of 'survival of the fittest'.

She demanded recompense for the loot he had 'stolen' from her. He had chosen to flee instead.

What happened after that amounted to a chase, a born hunter hunting a would-be hunter. Saying that Corvo managed to outrun her was stretching it a little. In fact, when he stopped to take a breather, he turned around only to see her catching up to him, a sadistic smile adorning her feature that clearly states that she was wholly enjoying the pursuit, looking only slightly out of breath.

It still bothered him that a child so young could smile like that, but that feeling was pushed away when she struck, and at an extremely fatal region as well. Like any sensible person, he retaliated. However, he didn't have the heart to pull out his blade, so instead he guided her instead.

She was strong for her age, he surmised, but the power and technique she displayed were unrefined and lacked professionalism. Such displays are susceptible to deadly counterattacks. For the barest moment, he was reminded of Emily, teaching her swordplay in the small times they were alone together and giving her lessons, except with more sharp objects and bloodlust.

He knew that she knew that he wasn't being serious with her. And something about that ticked in her, causing her actions to become even more ferocious and erratic, and thus more predictable to dodge. He didn't blame her. It is natural for children to express dissatisfaction at being treated like… well, children. In fact, he had been expecting it, especially since it appears she had already hit puberty, with hormones raging here and there. He had that firsthand experience with Emily when she had reached that age.

Not to mention, he's going through that phase right now as well. Not his proudest moment.

It was after two hours that she began to show obvious signs of extreme fatigue. He had taken that chance to perform his signature Tyvian chokehold on the tired girl, knocking her out for a good hour. When she finally came to, it was with a kind of resignation he did not fully understand.

She told him to kill her. When asked why, she responded blankly,

"The strong lives and the weak dies. You are strong, and I am weak. Therefore, you live and I die."

Shock had been the first emotion to well inside him. Pity for her was next. After pity was disgust for the person responsible for her transgression. And that disgust morphed into anger. Who in their right mind would distort a child's mind like this? What were the parents thinking? Where are they now?

He pushed away those negative thoughts in favor of the plight before him. He told her that the statement she makes is a law of nature, and though it is the cold hard truth, it doesn't mean that she must follow it through and through. She did not understand what he was saying… or rather, she seemed to have chosen not to try and understand him. He didn't know what it is that was stopping her from doing so, and surmised it as some form of trauma.

He instead chose another line to say: He is the winner. Therefore, he decides what to do with her. And he decided that she would live.

She had nodded in acceptance, remarkably solemn.

"I see. So I am your slave by right of conquest."

…

…That… was not what he said. By a long shot.

Nothing in the known universe could have prepared him for the twisted parody of his own statement, so he couldn't fault himself when he admitted that he flushed deeply. He supposed the girl should be proud of herself for being able to distort his wording into such a… demeaning way.

The Outsider must be laughing at him now. He can just feel it.

She seemed to have noticed his aggrieved expression and mistook it for confusion. So she elaborated, unknowingly exacerbating her defeater's predicament, "You said that the strong decides what happens to the weak, right? You defeated me, which means you have conquered me. Conquering another means enslaving them to you. So that must mean I am your slave."

…What.

For the first time since he faced the fact that he traversed into another world, Corvo was at a loss as to how to mend a situation gone wrong due to a factor out of his control. How did him deciding that she would live somehow turn into her becoming a slave to him? He did not bother trying to explain, attempting to wrap around the concept in his mental mind, and remembers why he wasn't particularly fond of his teenage years.

Stupid hormones, for that matter.

Eventually, after a long moment of thought, he gave up and walked away. The girl didn't seem bothered by his apparent nonchalance and followed after him. He figured she would give up on the whole 'slave' issue and leave.

The issue soon disappeared after two days. The girl didn't.

Resigning himself to the fact that she would be following him for a while, he asked for her name. The smile on her face could only be described as a mix between vicious and gleeful.

"Esdeath. My name is Esdeath."

…He felt more bothered at this world's issue with names than at the fact that her smile isn't normal.

* * *

 **A/N: Well, well, well. What do we have here? It's another story to appease the plot bunnies that were hopping everywhere and causing me to lose focus. Not that it's a bad thing, but not paying attention in class is a pretty damn big deal to me.**

 **Anyways, here's the sitrep, current and soon-to-be (hopefully) fans of DarkAkatsuk1. I've just recently managed to get ALL the achievements of Dishonored, and caught up with the recent updates of Akame ga Kill!, and suddenly, I thought** … **'Hey. There's some similarities between the two of these works of art.'**

 **Then I checked if there's any fanfiction between these two. I'm really surprised no one has published a story about this crossover yet, but it may be me thinking too hard. I'll be up front, this story is only an outlet for me to clear my writer's block, so excuse me if this doesn't get updated as often as anyone would like.**

 **Ah, right. One last warning. There will be OC's.** **Only very few, though.**

 **As for pairings, meh. I really don't care for it.**

 **Enough of that! Be prepared to witness my first step into the dark glory that is the first Dishonored/Akame ga Kill! crossover! I hope you enjoy reading the first chapter as much as I had writing it. Less A/N's will be written for this story.**

 **-DarkAkatsuk1, starting a new story**


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer** : I do not own Akame ga Kill! nor do I own Dishonored.

* * *

Chapter 2

* * *

Esdeath was not sure how to judge the teen in front of her.

When she had seen him on her hunting grounds, she had considered giving him a warning to back off, as everything within the vicinity was _her_ prey, and only hers. That option disappeared when he felled a Danger Beast that was, by all means, extremely hard to even outmaneuver; the Giant Horned Tiger. Even though she herself could do the same, the amount of time he took was shocking.

It hadn't even lasted ten, no, six seconds! He had charged at it headfirst, ducked and swayed seamlessly from its swipes and sliced the tendons of the front and back legs to disable it, then disappearing in a blink of an eye and finishing it from above with a plunge into the back of its neck, and snapping it just as quickly. All the actions were executed with pinpoint precision and no hesitation, his movement almost like a ghost.

She remembered grinning excitedly. He is strong. There is no doubt about that. Nevertheless, it was her territory and she must establish dominance.

He had turned to her with a curious expression when she called out to him. She'll have to admit, he isn't bad-looking. His scruffy long hair hung over a sharp face and matching dark-brown eyes, and there were early signs of stubbles developing on his fairly tan complexion. He seems to be only a few years older than her. His tense brows were set in a seemingly permanent scowl that alluded to apprehension, if only slightly. His attire, which consisted of a dark hooded long-sleeve tunic wrung with numerous belts and buckles with matching pants and boots, gave him the impression of a night stalker, and the strange crossbow that rests on his waist and the skull-themed mask strapped to his shoulder only cements that fact.

The boy didn't seem to like her demand and fled. She was pleasantly surprised at first, and recovered quickly to pursue him.

The chase had felt just like any other hunt she had participated in. Pursue the prey, corner it, wound it and tire it out, and close in for the kill. Enjoy every steps and span it out if possible for maximum pleasure. Her 'prey' had kept his distance from her for a good amount of time, which she could respect, admire even. That just means he will be a challenge.

And Esdeath _loves_ challenges.

She felt delight at seeing his panicked face when she finally caught up to him. It was an image she had intended to savor when she digs her knives deep into his guts and spill out his intestines, but not before lacerating his tendons to keep him from running again and piercing his lungs to keep him from breathing.

But then something changed when she struck. His previous expression quickly morphed into an effigy of coldness. Retaliation is always expected, so she quickly moved away from the fists that flew her way.

It felt familiar; the way they were fighting. He should know that there are holes to exploit, yet he is doing nothing besides making wordless, subtle remarks about them. There weren't any fatal counterattacks, and he hadn't even pulled out a weapon to fight with.

Then she remembered. This whole match felt like the times when her father taught her how to fight. How to use each tools for each specific tasks, like gutting a Danger Beast for its valuables or slicing it apart for its meat. How to use each weapons to defend and hunt for herself. And she realized it.

He was mocking her. Mocking her strength!

It annoyed and infuriated her, yet at the same time, she felt a sense of thrill that she had seemed to forgotten over the months of loneliness in the Northern Frontiers. Confusing as it was, she didn't ponder on it further. No, it's fairer to say that she _couldn't_ , as lethargy soon made a full course through her entire body and she found herself gasping for breath. Her 'prey' had found his way behind her and has her life in his hands, his arms wrapped around her head in a headlock.

' _Ah, so this is how I die…_ ' she thought as she lost consciousness.

Then something strange happened. She woke up next to a fire. She could still feel warmth and pain, so therefore she is still alive. And she was honestly confused when he refused to finish her off after she told him to do so. Why? She is weak, is she not? He is strong, is he not? So that means he has to kill her. It is the law of nature, after all.

And that was exactly what she told him.

A flurry of emotions flowed through the boy's face, some she didn't understand and others she saw on her father once; namely, shock and anger. Then he gave an explanation that she couldn't comprehend. The law of nature shouldn't be followed? That doesn't make any sense. There are no other rules of life other than that.

Then he stated something she would never forget, "There are two kinds of people in this world. Winners and losers. It is the right of the winner to have authority over the losers. I am the winner, and you are the loser. And I decide that you will live."

She could understand that. But live… live for what? Live for him? Ah, that makes sense. Why else would he spare her?

"I see. So I am your slave by right of conquest."

The silence that permeated the air almost made her reconsider what she just said. _Almost_. His reaction was far from what she expected. Delight was something she predicted he would have. Instead, it looked more like aggravated confusion, so she explained herself to him. If anything, it only served to make him look more disturbed, for some reason.

Then he turned and left without another word. What a weird person.

And that's what Esdeath didn't understand herself. She could have just made her escape just like that, what with his back turned and herself not in ropes and tethers, or ambush him again and finish him off for good. Instead, she found herself following after him for the next two days. She really didn't understand what is going on with herself.

It's a good thing he asked for her name, as the silence between the two was starting to drive her crazy.

"Esdeath. My name is Esdeath," she introduced herself. "And may I have the name of the person who managed to enslave me?"

She found herself enjoying his aggrieved reaction.

"My name is Corvo Attano. And don't call me master."

Still, he is such an interesting and confusing person. She'll have to study him more.

* * *

Outside, he maintained a neutral expression. Inside, he yelled internally and angrily at himself.

When he first saw the large trail of smoke from afar, he didn't know whether to investigate or not. He had initially decided against it, seeing that it was none of his business. Then he noticed something odd. Smoke does not burn black. Deciding against his initial choice, he went to see what was going on, and was horrified by what he saw.

The entire village is in ashes. Each building that had once stood tall lay crumbling, the smell of burnt flesh and charred wood assaulting his nose. No one was spared; men, women, children, elders, dogs, cats, livestocks, not even the rats were spared from the now-dying conflagration.

And Corvo couldn't do anything about it. It truly bothered him. If he had only been here minutes, no, _seconds_ earlier, none of this would have…!

He took a deep breath, despite the noxious fume. No. Now is not the time for regret and self-loathing. There has to be survivors. Something can still be done. There is always something that can be done. Despite showing no sympathy for what had occurred, Esdeath had helped him search for survivors without a word.

For that, he should thank her.

His eyes travelled, searching for any signs of life. But there was nothing but ashes and ashes, burnt bodies and livestocks, and rubbles of melting concrete. Soon, he became desperate enough to use his ability Dark Vision and after an hour, reality slapped him harshly.

There were no survivors.

It weighed heavily on him. His hands may not be clean, but they were like that for a reason. Everything he had once done, he had done because they were orders. Everything he had done by his compliance, it was for Jessamine. And when she had passed, everything he had done, his only reason for living, and his only purpose was Emily.

Now that he has passed on into this world… what is wrong with searching for another purpose? Emily and Jessamine surely would have scolded him if he had fallen into depression. Ha, he could even imagine that, too.

So he chose to explore and help any that he could. It was a decision he made after two months of meditating through the choices given to him. A decision he must not regret.

At the very least… he can give these people a respectful passing.

He and Esdeath set out to work, gathering the bodies and placing them on a makeshift funeral pyre. Once he made sure all were accounted for, he lit it and placed a fist over his chest in respectful prayer as the smokes began to rise.

Memories began to assault him again. Just as the curtains began to furl in when he rescued Emily one last time, she had taken it upon herself to oversee the restructuring of Dunwall. The first among them was seeing to gathering the dead and finally allowing them to rest their bodies properly in peace. Slackjaw and his cohorts had helped him retrieve the bodies, as repayment for the debt of saving him from the witch Granny Rags. However, the graveyards soon reached their capacities, and the last option remained: a funeral pyre was placed instead.

That day became known as the Affair of Dissonant Fog, for the entire day, the sky was filled with black smoke.

"There is no point in this," she finally remarked, watching the smokes rise. Corvo turned to look at the girl, and she continued, "Why should we mourn the dead because of their weakness? It's their own fault that they died. They have only themselves to blame, so why do you insist on sending them off like this? It's better if the vultures finished them instead. At least then, these weaklings have a purpose in death."

Corvo gazed at her. "…You speak like a child who never truly lost anything."

"Do I?" Esdeath smiled challengingly and viciously at him. "What if I told you that I have lost everything? My father, the entire Partas clan were all killed by a rival clan only two years ago, but do you know what he told me as he succumbed? 'Live strong.' So there is nothing to worry."

She swatted the ashes that flew too close to her eyes. "I have lost everything, but I do not feel anything about it. Why? Because I am strong. I mourn for my clan and my father, but that's all there is to it. The strong will prosper and the weak will vanish. If for one moment I feel worried for the dead, I will become weak. And then I will die."

He could only shake his head in pity. "Such thoughts are diseasing to the young mind."

"And it has helped me survive this far. What can go wrong now?"

"Many things," he chose to reply simply. Esdeath remained silent at his two-worded answer. He looked back at the fire. "Why did this happen?"

She looked at him as if reevaluating her impression of him. "You're not from around here, are you? That explains how you don't know why all of this is happening." He merely nodded. She motioned to the remains of the village. "Events similar to these have been happening the past months since the emperor's passing. I don't know the exact reason, but I heard a new Prime Minister has been elected, and the new Emperor who had been crowned is only a young toddler, at best. That can be something.

"And here I was planning on enlisting into the Imperial Army as well. Prey had getting scarce, and I had nothing better to go after." She's studying him again. "So what do you think we should do?"

What should he do, indeed? Corvo had planned to travel to the southern regions and accustom himself to the more tropical climates that locals had claimed to been infamous for. But now that this has happened, he must know what is going on and present himself with decisions that could possibly stop these senseless events, if everything Esdeath has told him are true. Another situation like Dunwall is never good.

"We're going to visit this Empire."

* * *

His arrival into the Empire wasn't a welcome one.

It was only an hour after he got past the guards that he got pick-pocketed by a boy who was nimble on the feet and spent the last few minutes running after the miscreant. After he caught the kid, he was greeted by watch guards who stopped their patrol to apprehend him.

He wasn't sure how and why he warranted the arrest at first, and eventually he settled his eyes on his garments, which is probably the main reason he was mistaken for a thief. Coupled with the fact that he was chasing after a little kid, it was easy to label him as a molester. Esdeath had managed to run away and hide throughout the entire ordeal. On the other hand, he could have resisted and ran away, but what good would that do? He had allowed himself to be captured, if not out of morbid curiosity of what will happen to himself, then to scout further and see the further interior.

So here he sat, in a cell with bars that look like it will fall apart if struck with enough force and all his equipments confiscated, and no guards standing to watch. So far, it's been 2 hours since he got arrested.

"Um, why didn't you just turn me in and run away?"

Corvo stared neutrally at the boy he was in the cell with. The boy had messy black hair and strange red eyes, though he shouldn't be saying that after meeting Esdeath. He still had on the roughspun tunic, pants, and footwraps that he wore during their chase, and was covered all over with grime that appear to be many weeks old.

"What is a child doing stealing other's gold?" Corvo responded with a question.

The boy scoffed. "No other way of living. I don't have money or a lounging place. I only have myself, my friends on the street, and my skill set to rely on."

"What about your parents?" The boy glared at him.

"I don't have parents. They're dead to me," the boy finally gave. He looked down. "When did it all start? Some months ago, things were just fine. Then bodies began littering the streets and it became normal to see blood or corpses on the sidewalk on the countryside." He bit his lips. "We were all happy. Poor, but happy. Then my so-called parents decided to sell my sisters, so I ran away before they could do the same to me."

Corvo found himself shocked again. What a story… why is this child telling him this? "And why are you telling this?"

The boy shrugged. "Dunno. I get the feeling I can trust you. You haven't lashed out like all the other adults I've stolen from, and frankly, you don't look like the type to get along with authority, either."

He didn't know what to say about that. To a degree, the boy is right. He had opposed the City Watch and the Abbey of the Everyman when he had posed as the Unknown Assailant, but other than that, he is one who has the utmost authority when it comes to the Empress's safety. It didn't matter what reputation and prestige anyone had, but if they did anything that offended or harmed the empress and her honor, he would reprimand them with severe prejudice. So in a way, he didn't get along much.

Silence came again, and then the boy continued, "There are a lot of people from the countryside that come here for fame, glory, or just money. Usually, their best bet is joining the Imperial Army. Some of them were good people, if a little naive. The others were showoffs that got scammed by the harlots in the local house. They ran off soon enough," the boy curled his legs in. "But recently, they've been disappearing one by one. I know because I've spied on the army registrar. They weren't on there."

Corvo turned to the boy, who took it as a question for why he's here. "Me? I'm just here to find my sisters. That's all." He remained silent after that, which he responded with silence as well.

Soon, when Corvo was sure the guards weren't making any rounds, he stood up and walked to the bars. "The bars may be rusty, but there's still patrol making rounds outside. The best thing to do is-"

"No," he simply replied. "There's someone I know who's coming."

The boy looked confused, but it quickly turned into surprise when the supposed person arrived at the cell.

"Esdeath. How did you get in?"

She smirked. "Front door was open. Plus, the guards that were supposed to be here aren't here." The smirk morphed into a Cheshire smile. "So, it's only been some time, but does that mean you are, as the guards call, a prison bitch?"

…He had the feeling Esdeath would not let this lay down, if that smile is any indication.

"Let's… let's just go." He turned to the speechless boy. "You too."

* * *

He scowled as they traversed out of the building. Abysmal. The duty of the guard posts of this jail is simply abysmal.

He had made note of the surroundings when the three of them made their way to get his equipments, and then out of the prison. Along the way, he had spotted a total of six gaps that could easily get carved away to make way for an escape, or even an entrance. More than eleven windows were unlocked and showed no signs of being manned or reinforced by bolts, and it is more than likely that if there was a back entrance, it would be left unchecked by the guards.

And then there's the guards. The three of them had slipped by them unnoticed, but even so: there were four groups of them, four in each. Possibly more groups, but he did not confirm. Two of the groups had shown intention of skipping duty, thus the possible reason the route they took to escape was left unpatrolled. The fence that he kicked down moments prior required reinforcement as well.

Not to mention, there was a distinct possibility that a tall muscular man with blond hair in a gray suit of plate armor had seen them on top of the guard tower, yet did nothing to stop them.

Such is the hardship of a former Lord Protector.

"We're out," he declared neutrally, tying his mask back onto his shoulder.

"Hm," Esdeath hummed. "I thought we would run into some guards, but honestly, how boring."

"Who are you people?" the boy accompanying them asked, "

The bluenette took a moment studying him. "Corvo. Why's your thief with us?"

"Better to steal than starve in the gutter, lady," he retorted. "Who the hell do you think you are, anyways?"

"Ah, so we have a mouthy one here," she smiled. "I will enjoy teaching you how to respect your elders."

"I'm 11 years old, and you don't look anywhere near 18, stupid bitch!"

If anything, Esdeath smiled even wider. "Esdeath, enough," Corvo stated firmly. "Check to see if there are any guards following us. I'll catch up to you soon."

"Pooh, you're no fun," she waved aridly and went to do as he said.

Corvo turned to the boy and took out his pouch. "I hope it's not too late to introduce myself. Corvo Attano. Just a wandering waif who doesn't have a clear goal, but a lot of questions."

"Waif? What's that?"

"It means a homeless person who doesn't have a place to go to."

"Oh. So like me."

He nodded, pulling out a pouch of coin. The boy's eyes shifted towards it. "I don't know if this will help you, but it should last you at least some months. Join the army or get to the top. From the rumors I've heard, children are sold to be used conditioned into soldiers and the like. Your best bet will be there, among the high ranks."

The boy stared at him. "You're just gonna give some stray a bunch of coins? And not just any coins," he opened the pouch, and widened his eyes, "but _gold_ coins? Did I die in a ditch and go to some shitty heaven or something?"

"I can always throw you back in jail, if you'd like," Corvo offered neutrally.

"…You strike a very hard bargain."

"Shut up and take my money," he made his intention clearer.

He complied quickly. Corvo stood up and made his way to Esdeath, who had signaled that the coast is clear.

"Hey, Corvo," he turned back and regarded the child. "…Will we meet again?"

He thought about it. Will they meet again? This world is strange, and worlds have always been small. "I can't say for sure," he decided on. "If it happens, it happens. I still need to find my answers. By then, if I haven't changed, perhaps I'll join the Imperial Army."

The boy smiled and waved.

"If that's the case, see you! I dunno how to say this, but you're actually a nice guy!"

Corvo smiled thinly and departed, catching up to Esdeath. The boy continued waving until the two were out of sight… and then he forgot something very important.

"…Ah, damn. I forgot to introduce myself."

* * *

"SCREEEEEEEE!"

Right after the two made their way out of the Capital, it took them three minutes to encounter yet another obstacle. In this case, it is a bull-sized, scaly lizard-like Danger Beast that had reptilian-like wings protruding out of its back, and a long prehensile tail.

A completely foreign creature Corvo had yet to see in his life, and he's over seven decades old here.

"Corvo… it's-" He tensed as the lizard-like winged creature closed in. From the tone Esdeath had made, it must be dangerous. Where are its vital points? What are its weakness? Maybe he can subdue it and use it to fly to the South or something. He knows little about the creatures that dwell around the central part of this continent… Isn't Esdeath a hunter? Maybe she knows how to confront it. He turned to her…

Only to meet sparkling blue eyes. "It's so cute! Can I keep it? Please?!"

…What in the Void was he expecting?

"…Yes. Yes, you can. But don't kill it."

She smiled and went forward. "There are many ways to subdue a youngling Sky Dragon, Corvo. Here, I'll show you one way."

It lasted another two minutes. The lizard creature had tried to devour her in one movement, which she retaliated by punching its snout. Taking advantage of its brief flinch, she quickly climbed onto its head and clenching her hands into knuckles, she punched both of its eyes. The creature screamed and attempted to shake her off, but Esdeath held onto its neck and with a sadistic smile, she fashioned a rope into a noose and wrapped around its neck, and began to choke it for the remainder of the time, all while gently whispering at the side of its head. From the looks of it, she could have done more than choking and punching, but it would have rendered the Sky Dragon near useless.

Corvo was impressed. For a girl her age, she is really strong. She had shown the same amount of potential, if not more than, as Emily had when he gave her his own assassin training. He shuddered to think what Esdeath would become if she underwent his own regime.

By the end of it, the Danger Beast had submitted to Esdeath's coercion.

"I think I'll call him Drachen. What do you think?" she asked cheerily, as if she hadn't just forced a creature five times her size into becoming a pet.

He nodded, unsure what to think. "It's a nice name. But the name Sky Dragon… why isn't it in the sky instead?"

Esdeath hummed and pointed at its wings. "A youngling won't have any developing muscles in the roots of their wings, which is absolutely essential for flight. Also, their parents are infamous for being overprotective, so from the looks of it, this one here was abandoned by its mother. Aren't you, poor boy?"

'Drachen' let out a harsh breath. He didn't know whether it understood her cooing question, but Esdeath had interpreted it as a 'yes' and caressed its head. And is that 'purring' he hear? The last he heard, scales don't have any nerves in them… do they?

…Maybe he should stop thinking about the illogical jargons that are happening and just accept them. It would probably ease his ailing headache.

"Come on, Esdeath. Let's go."

So he tread onward, the bluenette trailing after him with ever-studious eyes with her newly-adopted Sky Dragon.

* * *

 **A/N: Dishonored 2 had officially been announced at E3! I guess that means there will be more materials to cover as the stories go, yeah? I'll try to keep up as best as possible and interpret the story in my own way.**

 **-DarkAkatsuk1**


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